A Dream That I Once Knew
by Trombe
Summary: She,of the free heart. He,of the tortured soul. She,who smiles with the radiant sun, He,who burns with uncertainty. Can two very different people feel the same way about each other? A nice change of pace from all the Zutara and Kataang works. Ty Lee/Zuko
1. Prologue

* * *

Author's note:

Hi-ho! my first Avatar fanfic! Woot! You usually find me writing in the Kim Possible section but I love this show way too much and the world of Avatar is filled with so much material its like a fan fiction gold rush. Wow...my very first one and boy did I took a challenge. I wanted to write a decent Ty Lee/Zuko. A very weird and if you ask me one of the more "feel so right" pairing. If you don't like it...well you don't have to appreciate the couple to think that they're kind of cute.

This will be the first chapter of what I feel are many to come. Its the prologue so its kind of short but I've already started on the next chapter and hope to upload that soon. Its a young Zuko and Ty Lee. I tried to get them as in character as I feel possible. Don't worry. We'll get to the Zuko and Ty Lee you all know and love.

Read, review, and enjoy.

* * *

Avatar: The Last Airbender

A dream that I once knew

Prologue: Childhood and beginnings

* * *

The rustling sounds of footsteps echoed long and hard into the night as a grand figure made his way towards his destination. It was late past the tiding of the full moon, the vast rooms and corridors of the Royal family's palace loomed with silence. He opened the door to one such room with caution. Taking off his helmet, he walked in gently and smiled as he marveled at the sight

A young woman lied in bed, exhaustion written all over her sweat glistened face. Yet no amount of sweat beads or unraveled wild hair could hide her beauty. She was breath taking.

"Iroh…" She smiled, Her voice as soft as a whisper.

"Lovely Ursa." He bent down, giving a gentle kiss on her brow. "I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner. The war council went on a lot longer then I expected. Is that?…"

"Uh-huh." Ursa contently nodded. A tiny little thing moved slightly in her arms as she began to wrap the blankets around it tighter.

"What a lovely child." Iroh waved his finger in front of the baby, as if to say hello.

"He's asleep." She cooed, rocking the child back and forth.

"What is his name?"

The Princess looked at him for a second before returning her loving gaze back at her child.

"…Zuko."

The Dragon of the west could not have agreed more. "Zuko. Prince...Zuko. A strong name."

"A gentle name." Ursa added.

Iroh gave a hearty laugh. Somehow he was not surprise. He did not knew a single living soul who was kinder and gentler then Princess Ursa. "Yes, yes. A gentle name as well."

Silence fell before the two as they continued to watch the infant sleep.

"He's so beautiful." Ursa commented.

"He'll make a fine Prince." Iroh watched his newfound nephew intently.

"I can't believe I'm a mother now, Iroh. I'm…a mother. I…I have a son…a son Ozai always wanted."

The fire prince-successor hesitated for a moment at the mention of his brother's name. "I don't suppose Ozai came to see you lately?"

Princess Ursa shook her head slowly. "No. A messenger arrived last night. My lord husband is deeply entrenched in the south somewhere, overseeing some matters of the war effort. He sends his regards in his stead."

Iroh sighed disappointingly. "It is a sad day when a man cannot come home to see his own lovely wife. Especially when the day calls for him to be a father as well."

Ursa chuckled softly. "Oh Iroh…You know your brother by now. Ozai is…different."

"You could hardly tell the family resemblance." Iroh chided a joke, which brought a small smile to the princess's face. The two continued on the night with small talk and the minutes flew by.

Sensing it was about time to give the princess her rest, Iroh politely stood up. "It is late Ursa. A mother needs her sleep for the coming day ahead."

Ursa nodded, tired but happy.

As Iroh was making his way out the door she pleaded to him one last time.

"Yes?" He replied.

"Do you think Lu Ten will like Zuko?"

It gladdened his heart to hear Ursa say that. "My son would be honored. I'm sure they will be the best of friends."

"I'm…glad." Ursa closed her eyes and within moments joined her son in peaceful slumber.

Iroh shut the door behind him slowly. While weary and tired from his previous duties earlier, he felt strangely light and energized.

He was happy and it was perfectly justified.

After all, it was not everyday that one becomes an uncle.

* * *

Lao Shun was never a patient man. Never had, never will.

Time was a precious commodity that could never be bought or stocked, and as a successful merchant lord he knew such a thing was rare and precious and should be spent wisely. It had been his frugality and caution that earned him his success and elevated him into the nobleman status twelve years ago. Yet for all his success, he and wife were never blessed with an heir apparent. The gods saw fit to give him 6 daughters yet not a single son to succeed him. He would laugh at the irony of his success if he was not so embittered by it.

And now his wife was in labor again. Never having the stomach himself to watch such an event for the 7th time he opted to remove himself from the room and decided to wait outside.

For once and for all, he prayed for that son he never had.

"Daddy what are you doing?" A little girl came out to greet him sweetly. Her long cascade hair tied in a clean ponytail.

"Not now Shun. Daddy's a little preoccupied. Wheres your sister Liu? Go play with her." He said half heartedly.

"Ok." The little girl walked on back where she came from.

Shortly after another voice disturbed him from his anxious waiting. "Father! Mother told me to tell you you're a bastard for doing this to her...whatever that means."

"Watch your language Fen! and tell your mother she deserves it!" He puffed profusely on his pipe. Smoking always took out his edge. Living in a household full of women tended to drive you insane.

"Master Lao!" A lowly servant came up to him, bowing his head.

"The doctor told me to come and tell you that it is done sir."

"And?" Lao was tensing up.

"And congratulations sir..."

"YES!" The nobleman was ecstatic. Finally after all this time. It would seem his luck was beginning to change.

"...its a lovely girl."

"...what?" His joy ended too soon.

The servant paused slightly before saying it again. "I-its a beautiful baby girl sir."

"...whats your name?..."

"Who? me sir? Uh...Ping."

"You're fired."

"b-but...I don't even work for you sir!"

"You work for the doctor who works for me. Ergo...you work for me. You're fired."

"B-but sir!-"

Lao Shun quickly tuned him out as he had his guards take the man away. Another year, another daughter, another disappointment. What was the point of hoping anymore?

He sighed. Another daughter...he could barely remember the faces of of his already troublesome daughters. They almost all look alike.

"Maybe I'll give this one a unique name...Ty Lee or something...maybe...who cares..." Lao Shun's walk was slow and deliberate as he began to walk back to his wife and greet his newest disappointment.

* * *

"Guard!"

The faceless helmet of a fire nation soldier greeted the voice as the guard stiffened up and saluted him.

"Yes Prince Zuko."

"Have you seen my mother?"

"Princes Ursa is with the young princess Azula right now in the hanging gardens, continuing her lessons." The guard responded with no emotions.

"Oh." A young prince Zuko sighed. He knew better then to disturb his sister's royal lessons. He knew it only made father angry. He would wait to talk to his mother some other time.

"My Uncle?"

"The great general has left to go join the fire nation admirals to inspect the ships."

That was too bad. Zuko had hoped his uncle would have time to play with him. The funny old man always seemed to find a way to make Zuko laugh.

"And...my father?" He inquired last.

"Fire Prince Ozai is meeting with Fire Lord Azulong on war matters, my prince."

"I see..." in a way Zuko was glad. Part of him feared his father, although he never fully understood why. Mother always said that he loved him.

Being a prince of the fire nation was a great fortune, but it was quite lonesome for a nine year old boy. It wasn't always like that. He always had Lu Ten to play with. His fourteen year old cousin was his constant companion and playmate around the palace. He seemed to be like the big brother he never had. But ever since Lu Ten attended the fire nation academy he saw little of his cousin, who always seemed to be off touring the country or traveling with his father. That wasn't fair. He was playing soldier for real. While Zuko was stuck inside the palace walls with his wooden sword and straw dummies. "I want to fight too." He remembered himself saying that.

"When you're older cousin." Lu Ten always would always tell him.

"You always tell me that."

"And you would always sulk afterwards." Afterwards Lu Ten would give him a harsh slap on the back and the two would laugh and chase one another.

It had been a full season since their last game.

This year had not been so bad. He was finally old enough to learn their country's greatest gift and heritage.

The art of Fire Bending.

He remember the first time he saw the magical art performed in front of the royal family, as demonstrated by the country's greatest masters. The taming of the world's most wildest element had never been more beautiful and deadly. Like all children his age, he was captivated.

Still...it can get pretty lonely.

* * *

"Mom watch this!" She eagerly said as she carefully applied her weight to her hands and began to walk forward on her palms.

"Thats nice dear."

"...You're not even looking." Ty Lee whispered as she bounced right back on her feet.

"Uh-huh. Thats nice Min."

"...I'm Ty Lee." She replied in a weepy tone before walking off in a brisk pace. She never understood how her own mother could not differentiate her from her sisters.

She loved her family but at the same time it felt as if her family and their household seemed to regard her as no one in particular. As if she did not exist.

And that hurt deeply. Ty Lee thought that it would be a great idea to pick up a skill to differentiate her from the rest of her elder clones. She was always good with her body, but elder sister Mao already took dancing. Ty Lee really didn't know what she wanted. She was just trying something new in front of their mother, with no luck whatsoever.

"Hey Liu, Father is looking for you." One of her elder siblings called out to her as she was about to make it to her room.

She looked at her intently before speaking. "...Fen...Its Ty Lee."

"Oh." Her forgetful older sister paused. "Sorry Ty. I thought you were Liu. If you see your sister tell her Father was looking for her."

Ty Lee mumbled something silently, which Fen took as a sign of understanding and walked away.

She opened her screen door with much gusto and closed it with equal force. Sitting down in front of a mirror she began to unravel her hair tied in a pony tail. It was not quite nearly as long as she wanted but it was growing. She then looked at her face in the mirror quietly. "I'm me...I'm Ty Lee." She touched her reflection softly, afraid as if it would break if she touched it any deeper then that.

* * *

A young prince and a lonely girl made the same wish that night.

_"I wish I had someone to talk with." Zuko looked up at the heavens._

_"I wish someone would recognize me." Ty Lee bottled up her feelings._

_"I wished I had a friend." They both wanted.  
_

* * *


	2. Chapter 1: Midnight Rendezvous

Author's note:

Hey this is not turning out as badly as I thought it would be. Yeah from the look of things folks I'm actually gonna try to write this story with respect to canon, meaning we're going to go by the major events that happened in that show. Which means...that "the beach" chapter is going to have some really sweet Ty Lee/ Zuko moments.

But since I'm doing this with respect to the canon...the shipping of Maiko cannot be ignored. Ta-dun-dun! Insert dramatic look gopher here So...we might have a love triangle going. Well who knows. Lets see where my writing takes us.

Special thanks to Bismarck, Luiz4200, and avatarlover1 for reviewing. Appreciate it guys.

Oh and if you guys haven't caught on this takes place after the season 2 finale.

* * *

**Avatar: The last Airbender**

**A dream that I once knew**

**Chapter 1: Midnight rendezvous**

* * *

Sleep did not come easily to the once exiled prince that night. For hours on end his mind would wander, and while fatigue wore his body down it would be the wandering mind that would win over his consciousness.

Slowly he got up from his bed and felt goosebumps up his arm as his feet touched the cold marbled floor. His eyes went towards the direction of a cool breeze coming from an open window.

He marveled and gazed outside.

It was not a dream.

The Fire Nation banner flowed back in forth as it danced away in the night sky.

The impenetrable city of Ba Sing Se had actually fallen.

They had _conquered_.

Yet he felt no joy in his victory. Or rather Azula's victory.

His fist clenched at the thought. Once again it would be his prodigy of a sister that would claim superiority over him. It was her razor sharp mind and perfect calculations that tip the scale of victory over their side. It was not his doing.

No.

All he did was betrayed those who had thought to trust him.

At the thought he felt sick to his stomach, the world seemed to spin around him. _How did it come to be this way?_ Zuko wondered. One minute he felt so sure of himself, he felt he really understood what that water tribe girl was feeling, deep in the catacombs of the great earth city. He believed in their cause. The next he found himself allying himself with a sister who he would not trust with his life.

"_I thought you changed!" _ He could hear the pain in the water girl's voice.

"_I have changed." _Was the cold reply he gave._  
_

Zuko brushed his hands through his hair. "That was a lie…" He mumbled to himself.

Zuko the Exile.

Zuko the Betrayer.

Was that how he was to be remembered?

"Hey! You're still up!" A voice coming outside the window startled him.

"Who-!…Ty Lee?!" Zuko was flabbergasted. The face of a pretty young girl with grey eyes was looking at him in an upside down manner. Her long brunette hair tied in a long braid swayed with the wind. It was quite a strange sight.

"What are you doing?!" Recovering from his surprise, Zuko was quick to reply back fiercely.

The agile young acrobat placed a finger on her lips as if pondering that very same question.

"What am I doing?…I don't know…I just thought it would be fun to explore the Earth Kingdom palace, is all." She grinned.

"In the middle of the night?!" Zuko couldn't believe this girl.

"Well we were pretty _busy_ earlier this morning…" She didn't have to spell it out for Zuko for him to figure out she meant rounding up the last of the resistance of Ba Sing Se.

"...You don't have to tell me." He said calmly as he walked towards her and leaned against the window. It was strange, talking to one of Azula's friends. No, that was not quite true. He and Ty Lee had met long before as kids. It was such a distant memory that the fire prince had almost forgotten it.

Almost as if the mischievous acrobat could read his mind she smiled and said "Hello Zuko."

Zuko looked at her with annoyance. "what?"

"I said Hello. Its what you say to a friend after they've been gone a few years." He could swore those grey eyes were gazing right at his soul.

"Oh..." Somehow he found her words comforting, as if she truly meant them.

"...Well...its nice to see you too...Ty Lee...again..." He barely could mumble it out. Zuko learned long ago that he found found it quite difficult to express himself outside of battle. Talking was never one of his strong points.

She giggled a bit as she caught on his embarrassment. "Do you want to talk?"

"Huh?" All Zuko could seem to come up with to Ty Lee's questions were one word answers.

"I mean your up and all. Do you want to come up and...I don't know...just talk?"

"...Not really..." He quickly found himself looking away from her. He did not know why but Zuko found it hard to open up to people, even if it was a once childhood friend.

Silence fell upon the two.

"Oh..." Ty Lee finally answered. "Well if you change your mind I'll be wandering around up here somewhere..." Slowly she began to pull herself up from her upside down state.

"Ty Lee..." Zuko stopped her.

"Yes?" She beamed hopefully.

"...You really shouldn't hang your head like that for too long. Blood coming down your head and all..." Zuko cursed a bit silently as he wondered why he even said such a trivial thing to the grey-eyed girl. She probably already knew that.

"Thanks Zuko. I'll keep that in mind." She gave him a wonderful smile before disappearing back up where she came.

As the young brooding man was left alone he found the room to be strangely quieter then before, as if the silence was trying to tell him something.

"Oh like I'm just going to talk to a girl I haven't seen in years out of the blue like that..."

* * *

Something about being under the open sky, up high on the rooftops of the earth temple palace gave Ty Lee a sense of freedom she never experienced on the ground, even when she ran away from her family to join the circus.

She leaped from rooftop to rooftop, from canopy to canopy. It was like one giant playground and it was just for her.

The night was not so bad.

And she even got a chance to talk to Zuko for a change. Well sort of. Azula's elder brother seemed like a mystery to her now. The laughing and happy boy she knew as a child was replaced by a brooding, often angry young man now. How had the years changed him so much. Ty Lee found herself frowning at the thought. She did not seem to like the change.

With her mind distracted she failed to notice a loose roof tile as she leap once more. By some random chance of fate she had to land on that one.

A sudden rush of wind and the feeling of air beneath her feet was almost enough to make her yell out a scream before a strong hand gripped her left and pulled her up to safety.

"You know you _really_ should be watching where you step." The scarred face of the exiled prince greeted her.

"Hey! you came!" She exclaimed.

"Well its not like I have anything better to do...in the middle of the night." Was Zuko making a joke? She wondered.

"Thanks for the saved." Ty Lee suddenly remembered that he came to her rescue and was embarrassed by it. "I mean...I really could have handled it but...thank you."

Zuko looked at her long and hard. "...Don't mention it. _Really_."

He then looked at the side and stared down at where the loose tile tumbled down to. He did not realized they were up so high. "I thought you were suppose to be good at this stuff."

Ty Lee frowned a bit. Was he mocking her skill? "Hey I am good. Watch this!" Feeling that she needed to demonstrate to the fire prince just who he was talking to She tumbled backwards and flipped twice in the air and gracefully landed on one palm. That was always a crowd pleaser back at the circus.

"Ta-da!" She flipped once more to land on her feet, landing inches away from Zuko.

"...Quite impressive. I don't think Azula can do any better." Zuko honestly replied as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Really? Do you mean that?" Ty Lee was ecstatic. She often found herself admiring the talented fire princess, in more ways then one. It had to be something when her brother complimented that she was better then his sister.

Zuko found a small smile escaping from his lips. "I always mean what I say."

He froze as he heard him say the words. The slight memory from before played in his head.

_"I thought you changed!"_

_"I have changed!"_

Ty Lee noticed the slight hesitation in Zuko's eyes. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing." The fire prince was quick to brush it off. "Its nothing." he walked past her and found a spot he felt comfortable in as he sat down and gazed at his surroundings. It wasn't much. Past midnight the lights of Ba Sing Se disappeared and made way for the moon's natural light but tonight it seemed dimmer then before, as if the moon herself had known what had happened in the city and was grief stricken.

Ty Lee joined in and sat across from me. She wanted him to come and and talk...yet now that he actually had, she found out she had nothing to talk to him about.

"Umm..."

"How are things back home?..." Zuko spared her the awkwardness.

"Oh...Um...everything's great. They said that the war could be over anytime now. " She didn't want to lie to Zuko but she could not really tell him the truth and that she actually ran away from home and joined a circus.

"I see..." Zuko placed his hands on top of his knee as he continued to gaze off in the distance.

_This isn't working Ty Lee...quick think of something... _

"Um...Azula's always been talking about you since your...your.."

"You can say it. Banishment." Zuko answered bitterly.

"Um...I was going to say tiny vacation but...okay...yeah. She's always been like 'This would not have happen if my brother was here' and..."

"Ty Lee..." Zuko saw right through her.

Ty Lee sighed as she played around with her fingers. "It was actually more like...'Things seem so easy around here now that Zuzu's gone.'...hehehe..."

The bitter prince glanced at her then back at the now sleeping city. "Not exactly what I wanted to hear...but thanks Ty Lee...for the honesty."

Ty Lee looked at the exiled prince as if she was seeing him again for the first time.

For once she was glad she was wrong. The young boy that smiled a lot when they were younger did not disappear after all. He was still there. Somewhere deep within that scarred face.

For a while the two continued to stare quietly, content at just gazing.

"You know...Mai missed you while you were gone." Ty Lee said softly. Not quite sure why she said it herself, but Ty Lee felt like Zuko needed to know that his presence was sorely missed after his exile. That someone actually cared.

"...I wouldn't have known." Zuko replied. The image of a lovely girl with long dark raven hair, and complexion as pale as the moon danced around his head. He remembered his child crush on her many years ago. And he was sure she felt the same but their reunion at the palace with Azula brought him to reality. Mai had been cold, distant, and wary of him. As if he was a stranger.

"...Look...Thats just Mai you know..." Ty Lee didn't know what to say. She never could figure out why Mai acted so calm and cool when they met Zuko again. If it was her and the person she loved she knew she just could not contain herself like that.

"Can we just change the subject?...its weird enough as it is talking to my sister's friend about my love life with her _other_ friend." Zuko harshly pointed out.

"Oh...ok..." Somehow she felt bad for bringing it up.

Again without a subject to talk about they continued to gaze around.

Ty Lee found herself staring at Zuko's face, so different from a few years back. His hair was no longer held in a queue like traditional royal family custom, his jaws straight and lean, his cheeks hardened from years of fighting the harsh elements of nature, his golden eyes that seemed to held everything in suspicion. Yet everything else paled in comparison to that scar, which she figured he must be trying to hide as he let the side of his hair grew a lot longer where the scar was.

"Does it hurt?..." She asked gently.

"...From time to time..." Zuko did not like to talk about his scar yet he found it a lot easier somehow with Ty Lee. Maybe it was her optimism, or her naivete but there was something different about her. "...I can barely see out of my left eye."

"Oh..." Ty Lee felt she she shouldn't have asked. "...I'm sorry." She whispered. She genuinely meant that.

"Why should you be sorry?...you didn't do anything wrong." Zuko stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I just...don't understand why someone would do that to their own son." She honestly could not comprehend. While her father had quite a temper she felt he could never do something to harm her or her sisters.

Zuko paused and looked up at the sky once more as he continued to blankly stare at it. "My Father is a complicated man." Before he knew it he found himself standing up and brushing the dirt of his bottom. He had enough of the conversation.

"Its getting late Ty Lee. you should get some rest."

"Um...Okay." The nimble acrobat did not realize that so much time had passed by as they talked.

Zuko walked off and was about to part ways before turning around. "Hey Ty Lee...Its uh... really good to see you again...I had...fun..." He said awkwardly before jumping down and making his way to his room.

Ty Lee never had a chance to reply back before Zuko disappeared but she found herself smiling nonetheless. "Anytime prince Zuko...anytime."

* * *


	3. Chapter 2:Earth Kingdom woes

Author's note:

Wow I'm uploading faster then I thought. I got a chapter done already. Hmm...well folks I was well full on board with this ship but then after going through the whole writing process, this is turning out to be more of a challenge then I thought it would. Zuko and Ty Lee is a very complicated relationship. Is it a physical one? is it a close friendship? Whatever it might be one thing I always hate whenever Zuko is paired up with somebody is a total disrespect of the canon Maiko pairing. Hey I don't really care if you don't like it thats fine. But to somehow totally disregard it and saying it sucks is just plain awful taste and disrespectful. So I plan to not do that. Mai has feelings too you know people..(I know...its scary...)

Again read, review, and enjoy.

P.S.

I'm sorry if theres not enough Ty Luko going on but C'mon...a REAL relationship shouldn't come on that fast. This ain't Disney people.

* * *

**Avatar: the Last Airbender**

**A dream that I once knew**

**Chapter 2: Earth Kingdom woes**

* * *

Morning came way too soon for Zuko, who had barely gotten any rest from last night's incursion. The sun's bright rays shone down with ferocity, indicating summers coming.

He vowed that was the last time he stayed up so late. He needed his strength to be at its peak.

Walking around the palace he spotted a lone Dai Li agent. The Dai Li, supposedly Ba Sing Se's inner protectors. Zuko found the elite earth benders hard to trust after how easily they sided with Azula in her coup d'etat and betrayed their kingdom. But then again Zuko pressed the thought deep into the recessions of his mind. Who was he to judge? It was like the pot who called the kettle black.

"You…Have you seen my sister?" Zuko was brief and to the point. He did not want to spend any more time with them then he had to.

The Dai Li, with his hat that covered his eyes, responded with a flat tone. "The Princess is scouring the grounds my lord. I do not know her exact locations at this moment."

Zuko cursed under his breath. Azula always came and did as she pleased. Whenever she had business with him it was like trying to avoid a meteor shower, but the times when he actually needed to talk to her were the pivotal moments where she seemed to just disappear.

"I see." Zuko nodded and walked off.

Azula had promised him that they would return home as soon as possible but it had been a full week since they had conquered the fabled capital. He was beginning to get anxious.

He had toured the Earth Kingdom palace many times already, in hopes of being able to occupy his time but he felt caged and restrained within the massive walls. It was foreign and unfamiliar, much like how the last 3 years of his life had felt like. But back then he had uncle.

"Uncle..." He remembered the pained look on the old man's face as he had triumphed over the Avatar and his waterbending friend. How could he not see reason? How could he have chosen the Avatar over regaining his lost honor? It did not matter now. The Dragon of the West had chosen treason and dishonor before his country, and that was something even his uncle, could not be protected from. Back home he would stand trial. Yet Zuko already knew of the penalty. Treason was only met with banishment...or _death_.

Zuko shook his head at the thought. "Stupid old fool..."

Once again the Prince walked alone, with only his footsteps to be heard.

* * *

"Uh-huh..." Mai stated, nonchalantly.

"And then Xin and his juggling troupe collided with the pole, so I had to think fast and..." Ty Lee rambled on as she walked beside her friend.

It was one thing for Ty Lee to be talking, but it became a whole different matter when it came to the circus. She just would not stop blabbering. Mai actually liked talking to Ty Lee, it meant she never actually had to talk much, but today was just ridiculous.

"Ty Lee I'm not really interested in what happened next." She sighed.

"Oh but this is the best part!" The young acrobat exclaimed. "I then..."

This was torture.

And all Mai could do was wait and listen.

"Hey Mai..." Ty Lee then broke off suddenly.

"What?..." Finally something not about the circus, Mai thought.

"Are you...mad at Zuko?" Ty Lee looked at her friend ardently.

Maybe talking about the circus was not so bad after all, The shuriken user gloomed over.

"No. Why would you say that?" Her flat voice gave no indication on how she felt.

"Cause you seem so cold and like distant from him. Have you even tried talking to him after all this years? Back in Omashu you were so _thrilled_ about it." Well Ty Lee wouldn't really call it thrilled, but for Mai's standards, that was the most emotion she had ever seen her friend gave in a long time.

"..." Mai had no actual answer to that when she herself didn't know what she was feeling. It was not like she was avoiding Zuko on purpose. She just really had no idea on how to approach him after all these years. Who's to say he even remembered her? Because it seemed like she didn't remember him either. The Zuko they had recently met here in Ba Sing Se was a changed person. This Zuko was not the Zuko she knew.

"Mai?" Ty Lee asked with concern.

"Its nothing Ty Lee." Mai picked up her stride, hoping to avoid Ty Lee's question.

Ty Lee glanced at Mai's slender figure from behind, silent for a bit in thought before finding out her friend was leaving her.

"Mai wait up!" She ran to catch up with the raven haired girl.

* * *

Iroh had never felt so cold in his life. The chill that came over his bones was beyond what his old age could bear. This was what he had gained by defending the Avatar. A cold grim metal cell that was closely watched by the Dai Li. He snickered a bit. That was not a decision he regretted at all.

Besides the cold metal floor failed to compare to the pain that he felt about his Nephew's decision. So much _potential_...so much _disappointment._ The old warrior was disheartened. He had failed himself. But more then that he had failed the one person who he felt needed him most. Iroh could barely stand his shame.

Only the creaking of the metal door broke him from his misery.

"Hello Uncle."

He had never liked the controlling tone of that voice. Azula always had a way of bringing fear out of everyone, a family trait no doubt.

He turned around to face his niece, who stood proud and ever watchful, as she looked down on him with his chains.

"What business does the imperial princess have with an old man like me?" He played along.

"Oh don't be so coy Uncle. Can't a niece visit her _favorite_ person in the world?" She said so innocently.

"Oh I didn't know I was sharing a cell with him. I'd love to meet the fellow." Iroh was not one to break easily from Azula's mind games.

"Hahaha. Thats what I love about you Uncle. You always have something unique to say." She leaned her back against the cell door that closed behind her.

"Perhaps you have something to say now? Say...about my brother?" She inquired.

Iroh fell silent. Perhaps this time it would have been wise to not challenge Azula in her games. Zuko was a sensitive subject that he failed to guard against her.

Azula smiled triumphantly. Like a snarling wolf-shark, she sense her uncle's weakness and honed in on it.

"Thats what I thought. Hmmm...it would seem you don't know Zuko as well as you think you do Uncle. If you had then you would have the better sense and joined him and redeemed yourself. Look at you." She paused. "You're a disgrace. Look at you. Have you forgotten who you are? Forgotten why you were called the Dragon of the West?"

Iroh's eyes glared as he met Azula's pale gold ones. "It is an honor to serve the Avatar. That... is something I have not forgotten."

"Ah, and what does the traitor know of honor? How could you even comprehend the word when you yourself turned your back on your country and your people?" Azula's words spat poisonous truth.

At last it would seem finally, Iroh would hear the real reason why Azula came down here to mock him.

"Why do it? Why lose everything?..." Azula was genuinely curious.

Iroh in his weakened state, could only stare down at his sociopath of a niece.

"Ah...I see..." Azula finally understood. "_Love_...The bane of honor...and the death of duty."

Iroh's eyes flared up. "And what would you...princess Azula...know of love?" He paused before continuing. "What is honor compared to a woman's love? What is duty compared to the feel of a newborn son in your arms?...Nothing but words."

Azula's face showed no emotion. "Traitorous dog. My Father showed you great mercy by banishing you. A kindness far more then you deserved."

"I hope you get acquainted with your cell then Uncle. I have a feeling you'll be looking at enclosed four walls for a very long time." She turned her back towards him and the metal doors closed, leaving Iroh in the dark.

Iroh stared at his last bastion of light shining through the eye slit of the metal door.

"I have not forgotten..."

* * *

After Mai said she was not feeling well Ty Lee knew she wanted to be left alone. She said her farewell and went on her separate way. After a few hours passed she quickly found that without the company of others she found herself quickly getting bored. _Azula's said she had something important to do today so I guess looking for her is out of the question...I've already explored the palace..._Ty Lee thought as her options began to dwindle down.

Suddenly a fierce yell caught her attention. _Its coming from the courtyard. _Ty Lee, curious as ever and finding little else to do, decided to investigate the source of the sound.

She found a spot overlooking the courtyard. To her surprise it was the grunting and yelling of a single individual moving and whirling around, as orange hot flames burst and expanded around him. Zuko was practicing his firebending forms.

She smiled as she leaned against the balcony, her hands under her chin.

Ty Lee had always envied those who had the gift to command the wild element. It made them so unique...so special. Sometimes it felt that the benders who used the art were mocking her and her different ways. But something about the way Zuko moved that was so different and so pure from the others, that it captivated her as her grey eyes continued to watch the prince.

"Wow..." She whispered audible enough for only her to hear.

She was no expert in reading a person's mind or their feelings like Azula, but Ty Lee found that she had a natural knack of reading a person's body language. From Zuko's wild shadowless kicks to his explosive sets of motions. As he continued to guide a single fireball across the air, it was all too clear to her. She had never seen anyone moved with such passion and ferocity. It felt as if he himself was like the flame he wielded. Rough, strong, wild, and ever burning. This was definitely a different side of Zuko she had never seen. Never had see seen an aura burn so bright.

Ty Lee didn't know whether it frightened her.

Or fascinated her.

* * *

_Once more...Just once more. _Zuko panted. He was exhausted. He had been at this for hours on end now. His shirt was soaked with sweat, his vision blurry. His body pleaded with him to stop, but his mind and will refused to listen. He never got to where he was by lying down and resting. If he was to be stuck here in the Earth Kingdom for a while he might as well be doing something productive. Besides physical excursions always kept him occupied, and whenever he was occupied he never had to think, not one single thing about what has happened, what will happen or anything else for that matter. It was just him and pushing himself to his capacity.

Going into the horse stance, Zuko concentrated as he began to breath in deep. Firebending was never dependent on the individual's physical prowess. It was through the breath and inner control could the firebender unleash the fury that raged within. A ball of flame expanded into his hands, and as quickly as it roared to life, Zuko was even quicker in tossing it up in the air. The fireball whizzed up high and fell down within seconds, with zuko ready to catch it with his feet. A quick pass to the other feet and a tornado kick sent the ball shooting forward with a force of a cannon ball as it hit its target on the mark. The straw dummy never had a chance. It burnt to a crisp.

He heard clapping.

Looking up he saw the face of a smiling Ty Lee as she clapped long and hard.

"That was great Zuko! You really know how to wow a girl!" She giggled.

Breathing hard Zuko could barely answer back. "...I...didn't know...I had...an audience." He wiped the sweat of his brow.

"Well I'm hardly an audience but thank you." She grinned. "Well...are you just going to rest up there? Aren't you going to show me more?"

Zuko didn't know whether to laugh or to be confused. "I don't normally practice my bending to show-off to people."

"Do you only do it for pretty girls?" Ty Lee teased.

Zuko made a small coughing sound as if he couldn't believe what Ty Lee said. "Wha-what?"

"I mean you did it for me...and my guy friends back home always said I was cute."

"..." Zuko's mouth gaped open a little. "I wasn't doing it for you! I was practicing!"

"Well then one person _watching_ you shouldn't distract you at all." She pointed out with a mischievous grin.

Zuko shook his head in disbelief and in surrender. There was no dealing with this girl.

"Fine..." Was all he said before he returned to what he was doing before. Not paying attention to a pretty young acrobat's eyes who seemed to only see him and him alone.

* * *

Azula was in no mood for trivial matters at the moment. It might have been a wrong choice to go and see her fat uncle. He was still clearly one of the few people who could not be snared by her games.

But what she saw before her eyes gave her a slight, perverse amusement.

There she saw Ty Lee watching her brother and his pathetic attempt at firebending. And the way she stared...She probably wouldn't even know if Azula crept up from behind her.

"My oh my..." The wheels in Azula's head began to turn. She was not quite sure yet but if she was right...there may be something _amusing_ happening before her very eyes. And Azula was always one for a good laugh.

"You're becoming quite a naughty boy Zuzu..."

This might prove interesting after all.

* * *


End file.
